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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25550095">A Big Family</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/modestfuckup/pseuds/modestfuckup'>modestfuckup</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Get Beached 2020 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Don't Like Don't Read, Embarrassed!Stiles, Established Relationship, Family BBQ, Family Curses, Fit!Derek, Get Beached 2020, Human!Stiles, Insecure!Stiles, M/M, Meeting the Family, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Weight Gain, Werewolf!Derek, chubby!Stiles, chubby!kink, stiles and scott are half brothers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:53:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,182</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25550095</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/modestfuckup/pseuds/modestfuckup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an entry for Get Beached 2020<br/>Challenge Week (2500+)</p><p>Derek finally gets to meet Stiles' family and they're a bit bigger than he was expecting.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Get Beached 2020 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1811458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Big Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey everyone! This is again something I started for a week with a far smaller word count. It grew and grew and grew so I had to save it for later! I've found that longer things are hard because they have to have an actual plot. lol. </p><p>I hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Despite the years they have been together, Derek has never met Stiles’ family. When Derek asks about it, Stiles always makes up the excuse that his family is big and that it would overwhelm him. Derek finds it annoying because Stiles has met Derek’s family plenty of times, and while the Hale Clan loves Stiles, the longer Stiles puts off introducing Derek to even his father the more Derek begins to worry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This worry grows when Derek finds an invitation to a Family Reunion Barbecue in the trash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek pulls it out and goes to their bedroom where Stiles is looking at himself in the mirror, poking at the soft flesh that has accumulated over the past few years. Derek can hear Stiles mutter to himself “I don’t know where this is coming from I swear. I’ll hit the gym tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek will probably never admit it outloud, but he’s happy to see Stiles put on a little weight. When they first started dating he was so thin, and he was such a picky eater. Derek never understood, but Stiles had this </span>
  <em>
    <span>fear</span>
  </em>
  <span> of gaining weight. The first couple of years together was filled with gym dates and meal prepping and really living active twenty-something lives. Now, all these years later, Stiles had calmed down on the daily gym visits, and could eat a cheeseburger without feeling guilty. The happy relationship weight looked good on him, even if Stiles did distress about it every now and then, Derek secretly loved it. Though, he has noticed Stiles beginning to pull away, both physically and emotionally, since his stomach went from a paunch to a distinct belly that hangs over his pant waist about a year ago. He’s been trying to respect it, but it has been a low level cause of concern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Derek says, startling Stiles who quickly turns so Derek can’t see him. “Oh, sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Stiles pulls a shirt over his head and smooths it down, avoiding his stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you throw this away?” Derek holds up the invitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m not going to go,” Stiles says, moving towards their bathroom to finish getting ready for bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you want to go? It looks fun,” Derek responds. The date on the invitation is set for mid-July. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t want to see my family,” Stiles angrily puts toothpaste on his toothbrush and shoves it in his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek does the same and asks through the foam, “did something happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you haven’t mentioned Scott in a while so-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just talked to Scott last week!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it your dad?” Derek asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Gosh,” Stiles spits into the sink, “I just… If I go, you’re going to want to come, and you can’t meet my family.” He takes a swig of mouthwash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek spits into his own sink, “Stiles we’ve been together for 8 years and I haven’t met your dad or your brother. I’ve been super respectful of whatever your feelings about this are but I’m starting to feel like you’re hiding me from them.” Derek only knows Scott from pictures of the brothers together on the high school lacrosse team. Scott is Stiles’ half-brother, and they hardly look anything alike, but Stiles always said Scott was his best friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles spits the mouthwash into the sink, “I am not!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They know I’m a werewolf right?” Derek asks, because even though werewolves and other supernatural creatures had been out of the shadows for a few decades now, some people still hold bias against them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course they know,” Stiles rebuttals, sounding annoyed by the sheer idea that his family could be prejudiced against wolves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why don’t we go to the barbecue? It’ll be fun, I’ll meet your dad and Scott and Melissa and anyone else who is there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles struggles with his words for a moment, “My family is big Derek, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that doesn’t scare me,” Derek holds Stiles in his arms. He almost notices that his arms can’t grab one another, he doesn’t dare say anything, knowing it’ll just send Stiles into a self-conscious mindset. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles purses his lips for a moment, demonstrating the thinking he’s doing. “Fine. We’ll go.” Derek lets go of Stiles and fist pumps the air. “But! You have to promise you’ll still love me when we come home.” Derek thinks that’s an odd thing to promise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The weekend of the barbecue quickly arrives, and Stiles and Derek fly out to Southern California for the big party. When they drive into town, Derek notices a smell in the hair, like a very thin blanket of something covering the area. It gets stronger as they move closer to their hotel. Stiles makes them book a room at a motel, saying that he doesn’t want to be in the way while the party gets set up. While the day goes on, Stiles takes Derek to all his favorite old local haunts including a very vintage feeling diner. Stiles orders two milkshakes, claiming they’re the best in the world. Derek does agree that they are delicious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While they’re out, Derek can’t help but notice that this part of California isn’t quite what he’s come to know as being particularly Californian. The townsfolk they run into on their excursion are, on average, larger than he expected. It seemed like being overweight was in fashion here. Stiles blends right in while Derek, wearing a tight Henley that does not hide his psyche underneath, stands out like a sore thumb. He doesn’t put too much thought into the observations though, nor how the smell of the air grows as he moves around town. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles had been home a handful of times since they’ve been together, once his father had a surgery of some kind, another for Scott’s wedding where he was the best man. Derek never saw the photos from the wedding, Stiles claimed they didn’t have a photographer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The morning fades quickly, and soon the afternoon sun starts beating down on them. They return to their hotel room to freshen up before they go to Stiles’ father’s house for the rest of the evening. Derek showers quickly, and cleans up his beard a little, he really wants to make a good first impression. Stiles showers separately, Derek had noticed that since they decided to come, Stiles had been stress eating a little more than usual, resulting in the slightest growth of his belly. Derek tries to excuse it as a symptom of getting older, but Stiles seemed to dismiss that explanation rather easily with a reminder that Derek still has a washboard set of abs at almost 30. Derek knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to remind Stiles that his body was more of a result of being a werewolf than actual work on his part, Stiles didn’t like when he brought that up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles is adjusting his clothes in the mirror, pilling at the shirt he bought a few days before their trip. Derek sneaks up behind him and wraps his arms around his waist and tucks his chin into the crook of Stiles’ neck, like he always does. They stare at each other in the mirror, a soft smile appears on Stiles’ lips, and then—  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Derek says, surprised to discover he can’t find his other hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” Stiles lets out a sad exclamation as he shoves Derek’s hands off his body. “We can’t go. I can’t go. This was a bad idea. We should have never come!” Stiles yells as he starts throwing their clothes back into the bags they just unpacked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sti, wait,” Derek says, trying to grab Stiles’ arms to get him to focus on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Der, this was a bad idea. You can’t meet my family! I’m already so fat and if you meet them you’re going to see-” Derek stops Stiles with a kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles, I love you. Meeting your family isn’t going to change that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know that! Your family is so perfect! You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>werewolves</span>
  </em>
  <span> for fucks sake and you’re going to see that mine is… is just </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and you’re not going to want to be with me because I’m fat and-- and--” Stiles voice cracks as he starts crying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not care that you don’t look like you did when we met. Life happens. I love you Stiles. Are you-” Derek knows this is about his weight, so he asks, “Have they been mean to you about your weight?” He’s thought about it before. Maybe Stiles’ family didn’t like or accept weight gain, and he doesn’t want them to know he’s been struggling with his weight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No! They don’t care about how much I weigh,” Stiles responds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what is this about Stiles?” Derek feels totally defeated. He’s spent eight years trying to prove to Stiles that he loves him, and yet right now it doesn’t seem like it’s been enough. “Maybe I pushed you too much by asking to meet your family.” It’s quiet between them for a few moments. The clock on the nightstand tells him the party should be starting soon. “You should go to the party and see your family, you can tell them I got food poisoning or something. I’ll stay here and we’ll leave tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No that’s not-” Stiles says through tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine Sti.” Derek begins taking off his shoes and tie, he wore a fucking tie to make a good impression, not that it mattered anymore. Derek leans back on the bed, flicking the tv on with the remote. Stiles moves to stand in front of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You love me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I’ve loved you for a very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> long time now. And I’ve been trying to prove that to you for just as long, but you seem convinced otherwise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’ll love me even if I’m not skinny?” Stiles moves to sit on the bed next to Derek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek lets out a little bit of a laugh, “I hate to break it to you, but you haven’t been skinny in a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Asshole,” Stiles softly punches Derek’s shoulder. It’s quiet for a moment longer, the Stiles asks, “I’m really sorry Der, I just— my family is a lot to take in and I need to know you’re ready to see a whole other side of me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles, that’s exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> I want to meet your family. You always talk about them with such excitement, and I want to know them and love them because I love you.” Derek holds Stiles’ face in his hands, wiping a tear as it meets his thumb. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles pulls away slightly, and kisses Derek’s palm, “will you meet my family tonight?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Derek answers. Stiles quickly closes the space between them by crawling into Derek’s lap and kissing him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they arrive at Stiles’ dad’s house, there are a lot of cars parked up and down the street. Derek parks the car a ways away, and holds Stiles’ hand--along with their store bought fruit and cheese platter. Stiles says no one will eat it (“this is a ‘homemade food’ family Der”).  There’s music coming from the backyard, and the sounds of laughter and talking becomes clearer as they walk towards the front door. The scent of the town is very strong here. It smells distinctly of magic, and Derek wonders why or how he didn’t place the scent earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready?” Stiles asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was born ready,” Derek reassures, and Stiles takes a deep breath, almost readying himself for what he’s about to enter and pushes the door open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles!” the room explodes with the sound of multiple people calling Stiles’ name. That’s not what surprised Derek. Derek was expecting a big family, what he was not expecting was a house full of obese people, all varying in size and  standing or sitting about the room with piles of food on plates and talking excitedly among them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles?” a voice came from somewhere else in the house and soon another large man was standing in the room. “Stiles!” The man comes walking—or perhaps waddles?--towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Scotty,” Stiles reaches his hands up to grab at the man--Scott apparently. Derek remembers the pictures of Scott and Stiles as kids, and he cannot imagine that that boy from those very pictures grew up to be this man who must be at least 400 pounds. Derek notes that Scott smells like the magic he placed outside, it’s strong and almost covers up his natural scent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this must be the ever elusive Derek!” Scott puts out a hand towards Derek, which he grabs without hesitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha, yeah. It’s so great to finally meet you Scott,” Derek offers a firm handshake, and Scott pats him on the shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is dad outside?” Stiles asks Scott. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, can’t keep the old man away from a buffet,” Scott laughs. The two spend just a few more seconds exchanging greetings, before Scott excuses himself and offers them full access to the house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, Stiles turns to Derek, “How you doing?” The concern is obvious in his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When you said big, I didn’t know you meant </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Derek admits. Derek decides not to mention the smell he’s placed, not wanting to potentially freak Stiles out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See I knew this was a bad idea. We can leave and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. We’re here. Plus I heard your dad is only right outside,” Derek grabs Stiles’ hand and starts managing his way through the party. Someone takes the fruit tray out of his hand as they walk through the house. A shout of “Oh! What a disgrace! Who brought this monstrosity?” comes from somewhere behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Told you,” Stiles says. Derek refuses to admit he brought the atrocious item. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They slip out to the backyard where more of the family sits in chairs at tables piled with food, or stand and talk with beers. There are a few more average weighing people sprinkled between the family, but still no one yet who is more Derek’s size. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My boy!” A big voice comes from right off the back sliding door. Derek follows the voice and the direction of Stiles’ hand to reveal Mr. Stilinski, who must have been the fattest man Derek has ever seen in person and he wreaked of the magic, like he was the source of it. He’s sitting on what looked like a couch, and it was overwhelming to see the folding table set up in front of him piled with food which he was munching off of like it was his personal plate. There are a few other men surrounding him, all in their own chairs and sharing tables with one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey dad,” Stiles lets go of Derek’s hand and moves towards the massive man, making small greetings to the others, who seem to be his uncles. He squirms behind the table and leans over to hug his dad from his seated position, Derek highly doubts he can stand on his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I heard you come in,” Mr. Stilinski says. “You’re looking good, son,” he lightly pats Stiles’ stomach, which Stiles almost reflexively slaps away. “How was the flight?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was good. Derek gets a lot of miles from work so he splurged on first class tickets, so it was really nice,” Stiles looks back at Derek and makes a face asking him to come here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you finally decided to bring your boyfriend along,” Mr. Stilinski teases. “It’s nice to finally meet you Derek,” he puts out his arms and Derek shakes his hand as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really great to meet you too Mr. Stilinski,” Derek admits. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call me John, son,” Mr. Stilinski--John--says. “We were wondering when we’d get to meet you. Stiles always says you're so busy. Guess werewolves in New York have a lot of work to do,” John admits with a laugh as he pulls his hands to rest on his stomach. Stiles’ face grows tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad please,” Stiles beggs as his face flushes red.. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” he lifts his hands as if to surrender, “I’m just glad to finally have you home, even if it’s only for a weekend,” John looks to Stiles, a very fond look on his face, which tells Derek Stiles may have been hiding from his own family for a while. “Well, you boys eat, there’s plenty of food here. Come stop by before you leave though.” Stiles pulls away from his dad’s side and grabs Derek’s hand to lead him away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Stiles!” A woman’s voice comes from inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Melissa,” Stiles calls, and he hugs the women. Derek knows she’s Stiles’ stepmom, and Scott’s mom, she’s a big woman, though maybe smaller than Scott. She smells like the magic too, but not as strongly as Scott or John. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you see your dad? He’s outside.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we already said hi. This is Derek,” Stiles points to Derek, “my boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my. Aren’t you-” she pauses to find the words, “-fit. Guess they don’t feed werewolves the same up in New York, huh Stiles?” She pats his belly too, Stiles seems visibly uncomfortable with it, but doesn’t say anything. Her gesture frustrates Derek, Stiles shouldn’t be made to feel uncomfortable. “Well you boys go eat, there is plenty of food! I should get this plate to your dad before it gets cold.” She was carrying a platter of food, more than Derek could ever imagine eating in one sitting. Just as quickly as she came, she was gone, flitting off and setting the platter down on the table in front of John. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek has noticed people staring at him, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>he's</span>
  </em>
  <span> a spectacle. At first, he thought it was because he was a werewolf, but now he realizies he is easily the fittest person here, and Stiles is much smaller compared to his brother. They must seem like the odd ones out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about that,” Stiles says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, don’t worry.” Derek grabs Stiles’ hand and kisses it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is freaking you out huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As much as meeting anyone’s family is,” Derek tries to reassure Stiles, but he was a bit overwhelmed, just as Stiles’ predicted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have to stay-” Stiles tries again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sti, we have to stay for at least a little bit. Come on, let’s eat. I hear there is plenty of food,” Derek drags Stiles a few inches in the direction he thinks the kitchen is. As promised, there is plenty of food. Derek would dare to say there was</span>
  <em>
    <span> more</span>
  </em>
  <span> than plenty of food. By the looks of the crowded kitchen counters, there was enough food here to feed the entire town of Beacon Hills, if the entire town wasn’t already here tonight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles takes it upon himself to make their plates, stating that he’s been coming to these since he was a kid and could make the most delicious plate, so Derek found a table in the backyard and a couple of beers. He sips at the beer, updating his sisters on the night, promising them he’d tell them all about it later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You must be Derek,” another woman’s voice came. Derek looks up from his phone and sees a woman he doesn’t recognize, which isn’t uncommon in a house full of people he’s never met. She’s pretty, her brown hair is short and frames her face very nicely. She, like most everyone at the barbecue, is big. She smelled of the magic too, but fainter, like Melissa. “I’m Allison, Scott’s wife.” She lowers herself to the table, cradling her stomach in a way that made Derek feel like she may be pregnant, but he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> about to ask and risk insulting her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s very nice to meet you. Sorry I couldn’t attend the wedding,” Derek scoots his plastic chair over to make more room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. He said you had some business out of the country or something,” it felt like she was testing him. However, that excuse was real and before this, Scott’s wedding was the only time Stiles dared to even consider having Derek meet his family, but stupid work kept him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I had a conference in Denmark that summer. Normally, they have it here in California, but the one year it would have been convenient to have it here, they move it overseas.” It’s quiet between them for a few seconds. “So how long have you known Scott and Stiles?” Derek asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile is electric and sweet, “Scott and I were high school sweethearts.” Derek thinks back to all the photos Stiles has shown him from high school, he vaguely remembers a girl Scott dating, she was rail thin in all the pictures just like they were. “We broke up when I left for law school and that was the hardest point in both our lives. I finished, came back, and we got married. And I’ve known Stiles just as long, those two were attached at the hip all through high school and undergrad. And you’ve been together what? Like ten years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Umm, just about. It’s going to be 9 in fall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oohh, is there going to be another Stilinski wedding on the horizon?” She asks, obviously excited by the mere idea of another wedding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Derek admits, he and Stiles hadn’t discussed it, but it was something Derek has wanted for a long time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, my friend Lydia has been dying to plan another wedding and she’s been teasing Stiles about it for </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span> now,” Allison says. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Derek asks, jokingly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, he all but promised that he’d marry you the day you first kissed. It’s all he talked about for weeks. I’m surprised you two aren’t married yet. We all had our bets set for a while ago.” She takes a sip of water and rubs her hand down her belly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Derek genuinely asks, because Stiles has never brought up marriage with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, he’d Skype us and wax poetic about you. Even John is surprised you two haven’t tied the knot yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We uh… we haven’t really talked about it,” Derek admits. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Allison gets quiet, and it grows between the two of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek starts thinking about the pictures from high school, and remembers Scott from just a few moments ago. Even though she isn’t nearly as obese as some people here, she is significantly larger than she was in pictures from high school, not to mention Stiles’ own body changing from then to now. Derek had been trying not to think about it since he first understood what a </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span> family Stiles had, but now he was overthinking and had to ask. “May I ask you something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allison looks at Derek, her eyes are heavy, unlike how they were just a few moments ago. “Sure.” She sounded nervous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mean to sound rude, but how- why is everyone here so- so-” Derek can’t even get himself to finish his question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Big?” Allison finishes. Derek just nods. “I think you need to ask Stiles’ that.” She offers a small, sad smile. Just as she does, Stiles comes up behind them with two plates of food. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allison! Oh my gosh, look at you! You’re glowing. That baby is due any day now right?” He sets down the plates, one in front of Derek and the other in the empty seat next to him. Derek allows himself the small victory of suspecting she was pregnant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I am ready for this one to be out. She’s a heavy little sucker.” She moves and pushes herself up from the chair. “I’m going to go find Scott. It was very nice to meet you Derek. Don’t be a stranger!” She makes her way back into the house, waving to John as she does. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’d you two talk about?” Stiles asks, separating some napkins and the disposable forks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She told me all about you waxing poetics about me when we first met,” Derek says with a smile coming back to his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No!” Stiles turns to the house and yells “Allison you traitor!!” and then returns to their conversation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he continues to set up their meal. “Okay, so here we have-” Stiles starts listing off all the food on his plate. It is positively too much food for him, but Stiles’ plate is piled just as high. Stiles promises the food is worth the extra time in the gym when they get back home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the evening is spent flitting around the party, introducing Derek to everyone and eventually bidding a goodnight from everyone as well. Derek says goodnight to John, who looks like he’s about to fall asleep where he sits. Scott walks them out the door and the three spend a few more moments in the driveway talking idly about this or that. Derek invites Scott, Allison, and the baby up for Christmas. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t really leave Beacon Hills anymore,” Scott says patting his belly, like it was an obvious excuse, perhaps it is. “But thanks anyway. Maybe you can convince this one,” he points to Stiles, “to come down more. Dad misses him a lot, even if he won’t admit it.” Scott seems sincere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know work is crazy right now,” Stiles tries, but Scott just looks disappointed, like he can hear the lie too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drive home is quiet, Derek can barely think his stomach is so full of food. Stiles was right, the gym was going to be necessary to work off this binge, but it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> worth it. Everything was delicious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a curse,” Stiles says out of nowhere. Derek turns and looks at Stiles confused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is?” Derek asks, he was half working out how many miles he’d have to run the next few days and is also wondering if he could ask Stiles’ aunt Lena for that cobbler recipe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t do that. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about,” Stiles says, he crosses his arms over his chest, framing his belly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Derek says, focusing back on the conversation. That would explain the magic he’s been smelling all weekend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, technically, doctors have diagnosed it as a type of hypothyroidism. But it’s really a family curse. A great uncle like 200 years ago pissed off a witch and she cursed the whole family ‘by blood and by love’ she said ‘to be unlovable by all’ which manifested in being physically grotesque.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My dad has it real bad. Scott has it too. It affects everyone and really kicks in around 25.” Stiles gets quiet for a long time, Derek supposes that is around the time Stiles started gaining more weight. “I’ve always known my aunts and uncles this way, my dad managed to keep it under control until he was in his 30s. My mom had me, Melissa had Scott, and then my mom died. Dad took it real hard and kind of gave up. Me and Scott were super athletic in school on account of seeing dad really just let himself go.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s localized and contagious; the eating. Melissa gained like 200 pounds when she married dad.. Scott moved back home after school and blew up,” Derek sat there quietly, he connects the scent of magic to the curse immediately but doesn’t say anything. Instead he chooses to listen to Stiles talk and process. “Allison was a stick all through college, even when they got married she wasn’t like this. But two years married and—” he motions with his hands to mime her expanded body. He continues. “It became a weird pride thing. You were meant to get bigger and bigger. The bigger you are, the prouder you should be. Which is why I think my dad is as big as he is, and why Scott gained so much so quickly.” Stiles stops and looks at Derek, turning in his seat to do so. “I need you to know I have it too, the curse, and while I have been doing my best to keep it under control, it’s getting harder and harder.” Stiles takes another long pause, and Derek can hear the tears in his voice, “I can’t promise you that I won’t get that big.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek glances to Stiles and then back at the road.  They had a good time at the barbecue. Derek felt like he really hit it off with some of Stiles’ family. He was excited when, as they were leaving, they invited them back next summer. Now that all feels so unimportant. They’re very close to the hotel, he really just needs Stiles to stop for a minute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek thinks about the implications of what Stiles is telling him. He imagines Stiles being as big as Scott, bigger than Scott, as big as John. For some reason that doesn't’ scare him as much as he thought it would, and definitely not as much as Stiles thinks it would. But Stile’s tone makes Derek think Stiles isn’t willing to entertain that Derek really does love him despite all that, “So what are you saying Stiles?” Derek feels his stomach drop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles wiggles in the seat, shoving his hand into his pocket and pulling something out. “I’ve had this since our one year anniversary,” he holds it up to show it’s a wedding ring. “I’ve known from the moment we met I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. But I couldn't ask you to marry me without you knowing, without you seeing what I could look like in ten or twenty years, and what you’ll become because it’s going to infect you too.” Stiles was crying and Derek could see the mucus flowing from his nose. Derek turns into the hotel parking lot and into a spot. “And I know you said you’d love me after you met my family but after tonight, you must be so disgusted with me and I understand if you never want to see me again, but I need you to know that I love you so much. I was selfish and kept this from you for so long and I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek was crying now too, because what Stiles was saying hurt him so much. He parks the car and gets out, making Stiles let out a loud cry. Derek moves to the other side of the car and yanks the door open to let Stiles out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s talk inside,” Derek says before moving towards the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside, the room is cool, the air must have been going the whole time they were gone. Stiles was still crying as he sat down on the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles,” he finally says, “I don’t give a fuck that your family is fat. I don’t give a fuck that you’re not 148 pounds anymore. And I do not give a fuck if you weight as much as a house. How many times do I have to tell you that I love you? How many times do I have to suck your dick and fuck you good to make that clear to you? How many times do I have to take you your lunch when you forget it on the counter? How many times do I have to fold your side of the bed down the way you like it? How many times do I have to rub your feet or wash your car or hold your hand for you to understand that I love you to the end of this world? How many times have I begged to meet your family because I wanted to meet them and know that part of you? I thought you were ashamed of </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> all those times you didn’t want me to come up here. I thought you were embarrassed of </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, being from New York and a werewolf and all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I do give a fuck about, is that you don’t think you deserve to be with me. I do give a fuck that you hate this part of yourself so much you let it keep us from getting married and from me meeting your family. I give a fuck that after all these years you think I’m so shallow that I’d dump you just because you might get fat. Babe, we all might get fat! That’s part of life! You are a beautiful person Stiles, no matter how much you weigh. And it kills me that you don’t think you deserve to be loved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I give a fuck that you have been pulling away from me for the past couple years,” Stiles opens his mouth like he wants to interrupt but Derek doesn’t let him. “You have been so distant. It has been making me crazy because I thought you didn’t want this anymore.” Stiles is quiet for a few moments, he sniffles and wipes tears from his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Stiles finally says. It’s quiet and it sounds broken, but this conversation has been in the making for a long time. Derek sits down on the bed next to Stiles, “I just don’t want to end up like my dad,” Stiles admits. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to. We can work on this together, but it has to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>together.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And you have to be okay that you’re going to struggle with this, but I’m not planning on going anywhere because I do love you Stiles. I love you for </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s quiet between them for a long time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did I fuck this up?” Stiles asks, so much had been said, by both of them. This was probably the biggest argument they’ve ever had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not,” Derek replies. Pulling Stiles into his side and letting him curl up around him, his belly pushing into Derek’s side a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The curse-” Stiles starts, but Derek immediately cuts him off.</span>
</p><p><span>“The curse is bullshit Stiles. I scented it when we got here, but I really don’t care about it. You are not unloveable, your family is not unloveable. Look at your dad, at Scott and Allison. They each have people they love and who love them. They also love you. </span><em><span>I</span></em><span> love you.</span> <span>You are not grotesque or disgusting. Millions of people struggle with their weight, that doesn’t make them any less deserving of love, respect, and happiness.” Derek can feel Stiles hiccuping from crying, and he sniffles every few seconds. They’re quiet for a long time.</span></p><p>
  <span>“So what happens now?” Stiles asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a valid question. Even despite their long relationship, Stiles had trust issues with Derek’s commitment to him, and now Derek was having to reevaluate his life to consider Stiles’ family curse. Derek thinks back and remembers how truly massive the man was, wondering how much someone that size must weigh, much less bathe or use the restroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*One Year Later*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles and Derek move to Beacon Hills. John’s health started declining and Stiles wanted to be there for his father. Derek’s work was more or less versatile about his location, though the main office was in New York. He spent a week every couple of months in the city. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles had been accurate with the fact that the curse seemed to be localized to Beacon Hills, because as soon as they moved back, Stiles’ appetite grew. When Derek returned from his trips, he would find Stiles a bit rounder than when he left. Despite the weight gain, Stiles still tried to exercise, though Scott always teased him that it wasn’t going to do much. Derek always supported Stiles when he went on a health kick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Demi, Scott’s daughter, was a frequent guest at their house. Stiles adored the little girl so much and would practically beg Scott and Allison to let her stay for the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek became a staple at Stilinski family meals. He managed to get an old family recipe from his sisters, so he wouldn’t redo his mistake at his initial meeting. Derek and John had some good conversations, and it seemed that Derek was fitting in very well with the Stilinski family. Though they would tease him every now and then for being too skinny, or needing to put some meat on his bones. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles had been seeing a counselor, working on his internalized fatphobia and commitment worries was a long and slow process. He was making progress though, and Derek could see it at home and in the bedroom, where Stiles finally started letting Derek’s hand roam his body to feel the weight of his belly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They haven’t discussed marriage anymore after their discussion a year ago. Derek is confident that if he asks Stiles to marry him he’d say yes, but Derek wanted to give Stiles as much time as he needed. But with how Stiles fawned over Demi, Derek felt the familial desire was going to be in front of him sooner rather than later. He wouldn’t mind a couple kids running around the backyard with maybe a dog or two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The new life they were creating surrounded by Stiles’ family was exciting for Derek, and Derek was ready to see where it takes him. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Please consider leaving a comment and a kudos! I greatly appreciate them!</p><p>More about <a href="https://get-beached.tumblr.com/">Get Beached 2020</a><br/>I'm on <a href="https://modestfuckup.tumblr.com/">tumblr!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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